15 Best Travel Affiliate Programs to Explore
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If you run a travel website or you’re an influencer in the travel niche, you probably want affiliate marketing to become one of your income streams. There are travel affiliate programs out there to suit every type of content creator, whether you post about deals, help people plan their vacations, or focus on activities at top destinations.
15 Best Travel Affiliate Programs to Consider Joining
The following travel affiliate programs include some of the biggest marketplaces and search engines in the niche, and there are also smaller, more specific brands represented. Whether you focus on hometown or international travel, cities or cruises, or even travel safety, there are options here for you.
Agoda
The online travel agency Agoda mainly serves people in the Asia-Pacific area. Its booking services include flights and other types of transportation, lodging, and vacation activities.
Its affiliate program pays a commission of around 5%, and you can calculate your expected earnings on the website.
Agoda’s app, website and promotions come in 38 languages, so you can target an international audience.
Booking.com
Booking.com is one of the leading online travel agencies, helping travelers book flights, hotels, car rentals, group transportation and attractions. Its affiliate program pays a commission every time a booking is made through your link. Unfortunately, information about commission rate and cookie duration isn’t provided.
CruiseDirect
CruiseDirect is an online cruise travel agent that offers vacation financing via Uplift, plus price-matching and price-locking.
Its affiliate program pays a 3% commission on every purchase, and the company provides promotional banners to help with conversions. The cookie duration is 45 days, and the weekly newsletter for affiliates can include bonus commission offers.
Discover Cars
Discover Cars is an online car rental service, and its affiliate program has one of the longest cookie durations you’ll come across at 365 days.
The commission structure is 70% on car rental profits and 30% on Full Coverage. The website says that totals approximately $20 per booking.
The Discover Cars affiliate program offers a lot of help to marketers, too. You can use the brand’s banners, generate a landing page or add a widget to your website.
Expedia
Expedia is one of the leading travel deals and booking websites around. Users can make reservations for rental cars, lodging, and flights, plus cruises and activities.
The Expedia Group Affiliate Program pays up to a 6% commission on qualifying sales. Marketers can use branded banners, links and search widgets to promote travel services.
The website doesn’t state the cookie duration, but sources say that it ranges from 7 to 30 days depending on the travel brand you’re promoting.
G Adventures
G Adventures is an adventure travel company that offers expeditions, safaris and tours for small groups.
Its affiliate program is offered through Commission Junction (CJ), and the “typical” commission is 6% for confirmed sales. The cookie duration is 90 days.
G Adventures also states that it provides marketers with display ads, marketing copy and an XML feed, as well as regular promotions.
Go City
Go City is a per-city pass (available in 25 cities worldwide) that helps you plan and manage your trip while also getting you access to local activities and attractions.
The Go City affiliate program offers “competitive” commissions, which are actually difficult to narrow down to a specific number. However, online sources put it at or around 6%. The cookie duration is an extra-long 90 days, which gives people lots of time to finalize travel plans.
Kayak
Kayak is a travel-focused search engine that’s available as a website and mobile app. Users can search for flights, lodging and rental cars, and they can also read user reviews to learn about the experiences of other travelers.
The Kayak affiliate program lets marketers earn from ad revenue, bookings and clicks for cars, flights, hotels and vacation packages. Commission can be as high as 50%. While the website doesn’t state the cookie duration, online sources say it’s 30 days.
Marketers will be able to use Kayak deep links, a search box, widgets and more.
Plum Guide
Plum Guide is a home-stay booking service (similar to Airbnb) that focuses on high-quality, luxury properties.
Its affiliate program, which is run through Partnerize, offers a 7% commission on every sale. While its cookie duration isn’t disclosed on the website, online sources claim it’s 90 days.
REI
REI is an outdoor clothing and gear brand for adventurers. You can also rent gear, attend events, take classes and more with REI.
Its affiliate program is run through AvantLink and lets marketers earn money from REI.com and REI Outlet sales. According to an online search, the REI affiliate program commission rate is 5% and the cookie duration is 15 days.
SafetyWing
SafetyWing offers Nomad Insurance, which is medical insurance for global travelers that can be used when they’re away from their home country.
The SafetyWing Ambassador program has some of the best affiliate marketing terms you’ll find. You’ll get 10% commission on sales, and the cookie duration is 364 days.
Plus, since SafetyWing can insure travelers who are already abroad, you can continue marketing to people who are mid-trip. Also, the website says that more than 70% of signups are for a monthly subscription, and you can earn on renewals for up to one year.
Take Walks
Take Walks offers day trips and tours to travelers in cities worldwide. The affiliate program pays a 15% commission on all bookings, but the cookie duration is not disclosed.
To encourage your audience to sign up for a Take Walks experience, affiliates can offer skip-the-line access.
Travelpayouts
Travelpayouts is an affiliate marketing platform for travel-focused content creators. You’ll sign up to work with the travel brands you love (Travelpayouts has 120 of them), then use available affiliate tools to enhance your content and promote travel services.
The commission payout and cookie duration depend on the brand you choose, and you can explore them all in the brand directory. Some commissions are low at around 4%, while others are as high as 50%. There are also brands that offer fixed payouts.
Cookie duration varies, too, sometimes being as short as 1 day and other times lasting for a full year.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is a travel research website that aggregates ratings and reviews from travelers. You can find information about activities, destinations, lodging, restaurants and more with Tripadvisor.
The Tripadvisor Affiliate Program offers a minimum commission of 50% for hotel bookings, and you can also get paid for clicks even if they don’t result in bookings. The cookie duration is 14 days.
Trusted Housesitters
Trusted Housesitters pairs travelers with pet sitters (and vice versa) when planning a trip. Pet parents and sitters can sign up for annual plans that include background checks, video calls and liability protection.
The company’s affiliate program offers up to a 40% commission when a user signs up for an account. The cookie duration is 30 days.
Final Thoughts About Travel Affiliate Programs
Travel affiliate programs can supplement your income — or even replace it — by connecting your audience with the services they want most. Trip planning can be exhausting, and so many of these travel affiliate programs focus on making the process more convenient and less expensive for consumers.
That likely aligns with your goals, too, and with so many affiliate programs covering every aspect of travel, you won’t have trouble monetizing your site.
If you’re in the website-building stage, check out our article about creating niche websites.